HEALTH Thwarting warts

Thwarting warts


Bernie Fahy

Warts are stubborn, embarrassing and sometimes even painful. They can show up on your face, hands, feet and even your private parts. A world of folklore and old wives’ tales surrounds them, with everything from toads to sea foam to the water in which an egg was boiled being blamed for their appearance. Weird and wonderful wart cures include rubbing a snail on the offending bump then impaling the poor snail on a thorn, or rubbing a potato on the wart and then burying the spud in the garden. Needless to say, there are better ways of tackling the blemishes.   

What are warts?
A wart is in effect a mass produced by an uncontrolled growth of epithelial skin cells and is often an indicator of a sluggish immune system. This is caused by a virus called human papillomavirus. Most warts are not cancerous. These benign thickenings are very common and can be found in individuals of any age and in any location on the body. Warts are particularly prevalent in children and adolescents, and there is a link between the virus and an individual’s immune system. Periods of reduced immunity – when your immunity is low – can encourage warts to spread.
Warts are contagious and transmitted through skin-to-skin contact. However, certain types, such as plantar warts, may be transferred from moist floors. Warts have an incubation period of many weeks to many months.

The different types
There are various types of warts. Verruca vulgaris (the common wart), not to be confused with the foot condition, has a rough surface often with small tiny spots formed from blood vessels, which have clotted. These are often seen on hands, elbows and knees.
Flat warts are straight topped, smoother looking warts that are brown or skin coloured. These are most common on the faces of women.
Plantar warts are seen on the underside of the feet and are thickened. They can often be confused with corns or calluses. Having thrombosed blood vessels, these often present with black dots and are very uncomfortable as they grow in weight bearing areas. Unusually, they grow into the skin rather than outward as in other warts.
Genital warts appear in the genital peri-anal skin and have a variety of appearances. They can look like common warts or skin-coloured small papules and vary in size. There is a subgroup that may have a small chance of becoming cancerous, so it is advised to seek medical advice.

Treatments
Selenium, folic acid and beta-carotene can be effective as natural treatments. Vitamins B12, C and E have advantageous properties also, but always seek professional advice.
Base your diet on whole grains and fresh garden produce if possible. Try and eat only small amounts of simple sugars and have plenty of rest; the body makes certain  immune system building blocks only when you are sleeping.
Licorice and elderberry can be taken internally with qualified advice.
Direct treatment for removal of warts involves removal by pushing a probe under the skin and cutting off the blood supply.
Warts are very common, but should you spot one, you should approach a professional for removal sooner rather than later, as they are highly contagious. The last thing you want is one wart turning into a collection.




Bernie Fahy works in Ballinrobe, Westport and Galway. She can be contacted at 086 2220125 or info@bernietheskinspecialist.com. For more information, visit
www.bernietheskinspecialist.com.